Ruggedman exploded on the scene years ago by dissing many artistes. Photo: Filed

Having been displaced by several upcoming acts, rapper Ruggedman recently made another effort to bounce back.

That effort is personified by his new single Agidi in which the rapper, who shook the Nigerian music industry to its foundation with diss songs targeted at an umber of established stars, features Wande Coal.

But unlike the other songs that Ruggedman has released or even featured on in the past, the song is totally dominated by the Black Diamond Boss.

In the song, a 2-minute snippet which surfaced online on Friday, August 15, Wande Coal’s voice is easily recognisable in the song while Ruggedman’s voice is almost missing, unlike other songs he had dropped in the past like Opomulero, Ehen, Peace or War and others.

The rapper has however confirmed the leak is an unfinished version. Hopefully, he will make his voice heard on the final cut.

Read more…

 

Meet our new bishop of life -Bishop Dbanj Eja Nla

The super artiste has arrived Durban, South Africa for the MTV Base All Stars Concert which will hold tomorrow Saturday, May 18, 2013 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, People’s Park in Durban, South Africa. Another pic below

Read more…

Kukere Remix

kukere master’ Iyanya drops the brand new remix to his debut hit single ‘Kukere’ featuring ‘the koko master’ D’banj produced by D’Tunes. Visuals for his second single ‘Ur waist’ out soon. Enjoy!

Mobile Download

Read more…

Just as D’banj’s Oliver Twist hits UK top spot on Itunes, his unfinished work “Go Down” leaks Online. Word out there is that Don Jazzy might be behind this but, hey! who cares. Nice tune if you ask me, guess D’banj is set to shock Africa. Listen below and share your thoughts…

D’Banj is everywhere right now. Oliver Twist is a global smash, topping Shazam charts and Urban music charts in the UK. Listen to him as he talks about his new record label (reportedly Def Jam Africa as the President), his new single with Kanye West, as well as recording with Sarkodie. Watch and share your view

D’Banj and Sarkodie Performing Their Unreleased Collaboration.


 

Read more…

Dbanj  & Don Jazzy

Music artiste, Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo popularly known as D'banj has congratulated his one-time business partner and friend Michael Collins Ajereh also called Don Jazzy on the launch of his new record label, Mavin Records.

D'banj, who reached out to Don Jazzy through the social media platform, Twitter, said; "Congrats to my brother and the best producer in Africa Don jazzy on the launch of his new Record Label, MAVIN RECORDS. Wish u all the best."

In response, music producer and owner of Mavin Records, Don Jazzy tweeted; "Thanks bro. God bless you."

The launch of Mavin Record label came on the heels of alleged underground fight going on between the duo seemingly caused by the signing of the G.O.O.D music deal with Kanye West.

On the other hand, an image which makes caricature of the Mavin crew, allegedly created by K-Switch, D'banj's brother on his Black Berry Messenger(BBM) as his Display Picture(DP), has been passed round the social media platforms.

The image showed the poster of Mavin Record crew being re-done with photo effects and the names changed from Mavin Records to 'Revenge' and the part that read Solar Plexus changed to 'The Avengers'. There were also names replacing those of the crew members underneath the poster, such as; Captain Mushin, Eagle, Hulk, Russian Spy and Thor.

This act according to many has been viewed as childish considering that D'banj and Don Jazzy appeared to be in talking terms as depicted on their Twitter statuses.

Read more…

Asa

This is the best place to be at this time. If you are not experiencing Calabar this Christmas season, then you are not experiencing anything at all. So I would advise those who are outside the city to take some time out and visit Calabar this period. There’s just everything. Peace, hospitality and an atmosphere filled with fun and excitement. I can’t wait for the carnival. Everybody just has to be here. As they say, the taste of the pudding is in the eating.”

For 32 days, Calabar, the Cross River State capital will witness exciting cultural events and colourful activities that usually attract millions of people all over the world. Since inception, this festival, which has become one of the biggest tourism and leisure attractions in West Africa, has grown tremendously in popularity and scope.

Over the past years, the Cross River State government has used this carnival to drive its tourism sector and provide exposure for its citizens, as well as develop its vast tourism sites and infrastructure such as the Obudu Ranch Resort, the Tinapa Business Resort, Marina Resort.

The festival commenced with a tree-lighting ceremony on November 30 at the Millennium Park, Calabar and will end with a thanksgiving ceremony on January 1 of the succeeding year.

Usually, musical concerts that feature renowned national and international artistes are used to make the carnival very attractive. People like the late Lucky Dube, Joe, Alpha Blondy, Hugh Masekela, Oliver Mtukudzi, Akon, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Chevelle Franklyn, Fat Joe, NeYo, Asa, D’banj had at one time or the other graced the event with their rhythms and lyrics.

Other attractions of the festival include awareness campaign and seminars on contemporary issues of global concern, children’s Christmas camp, theatre performances, vocational training for youths, fashion and food fair, a weekend at the Obudu Mountain Resort to celebrate Africa, and so many other side attractions. Of course there is usually a two-day carnival to spice up the season.

Despite the fun and relaxed atmosphere around the carnival, a great degree of thought, creativity and discipline goes into the interpretation of the carnival theme under a strict adjudication process. The result is pure magic – an outpouring of colour, sound and spectacle, unmatched by anything else on the continent.

Calabar Carnival takes place on December 26 and 27 each year, and is the highlight of the 32-day festival which runs from  November 30 to January 1. The carnival is the largest cultural festival in Africa, with 50,000 costumed revelers, 2 million spectators and an audience of over 50 million television viewers on NTA Network, NTA International, AIT, CRBC and Continental TV (Africa Magic, Channel 0 and MTV Base).

The carnival features 5 major competing bands and many others.

The major bands comprise of approximately 10,000 revelers each, including up to five kings and queens wearing large scale costumes that interpret the annual theme and set the tone for the other outfits.

Sections of these costumed revelers create a riot of colour and sparkle, accompanied by live music, DJs, well-decorated floats and steel bands. The carnival parade terminates at the U. J. Esuene Stadium which is the final adjudication and end point of the competition for the ‘Band of the Year’ in various categories. This competition attracts an additional 15,000 seated spectators and 10,000 others in and around the stadium, as well as 50 million TV viewers.

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State unveiled the theme for the year: “Endless Possibilities” during a ceremony tagged, “A Glimpse of Destination, Cross River.” He described as “tedious and tasking, the process of finding a suitable theme for the carnival because it is more than dancing and costuming as the latest does not reflect the previous ones.”

Each of the five carnival bands are guided by the theme and expected to work hard to interpret them into dance, float and costume as they affect the people and the future.This year’s festival is well-packaged and better than the previous editions as it is driven by the visions shown a few years ago.

The Calabar Festival was initiated by the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Donald Duke.  Unveiling the ceremony was only a tip of the iceberg as more await those that intend to visit Cross River State this December.

All things being equal, business booms as the Calabar festival village begins. For revelers and fun seekers in the country, there can be no better place to be in this yuletide season than the Cross River State capital, especially with the opening of the festival village at the cultural centre complex. The festival village, strategically located at the middle of town at the moment, is the hub of economic activities and revelry and the perfect place to relax, socialise and have a good time.

However, it is not all about song and dance, the organisers of this landmark event said. “It is a festival that showcases the best of music, culture and talent. The festival is Cross River State’s tourism niche,” says Nzan Ogbe, special adviser to the state governor on Events Management.

Youths in particular stand to benefit from the festival as there are programmes aimed at training interested youths in various aspects of events production, management and entertainment. According to him, the festival committee worked round the clock to ensure that visitors to the serene city of Calabar during this period go away with a full sense of satisfaction.

New activities have been introduced, such as the Calabar Water Carnival—a boat regatta that would showcase the state’s rich culture on water, a food fair, which will also bring to the fore the state’s cuisine, the governor’s masked ball, a unique charity event and a host of other fascinating programmes.

“The festival is a compendium of activities with diverse scope and content, which we try to improve on every year,” Ogbe concluded, adding, “With new initiatives introduced this year and a strong committee, I can say we are going places and reaching for the higher height.”

However, due to reports of persistent stealing of handbags, snatching of GSM Phones, raping of innocent women and other atrocities perpetrated during Christmas festivals in the state, the Cross River State government has reeled out rules for Calabar Festival.

Government had warned spectators and participants at the festival not to attend the various ceremonies with their handbags or any other bag, noting that the safety and comfort of participants were paramount to the government.

The statement made available to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND said, “Spectators are advised not to come with handbags or any other bag to the venue of the festival events. Your safety and comfort is our topmost concern. Enjoy the Calabar Festival peacefully. The statement added, “The general public is hereby advised to note that the Calabar Festival stadium entrance, through the Naval Base, is strictly for holders of paid tickets.”

Other spectators to grace the event at the stadium who are not paying are advised to use the entrances through the Murtala Muhammed highway as well as the IBB Way, with their destinations clearly marked on them.

Interestingly, Governor Liyel Imoke expressed happiness over the number of private sponsors the festival has attracted, including Nigeria’s top brands, First Bank, Guinness and Dangote Group.

On the security of tourists in the face of the current situation in the country, the governor said he would not take anything for granted as effort is being intensified to revamp the Emergency Response Centre and reposition it for quicker response while 20 independent special security squad is to be strategically located at various points in the state to check any breach of peace.

Answering questions on why the festival is allowed into the night, he said  the initiative was deliberate because that is the right period for the  sponsors to get value for their investment as many people would be glued to their television sets.

D'banj and Tuface

Read more…

Nigerian Entertainment Today can confirm that Pop Star and Mo’Hits artiste D’banj will not be attending the Channel O Music Awards as announced earlier. D’banj will be missing from the stage this evening Friday, November 11, 2011 as he is honoured with a ‘Special Recognition Award‘.

Sources in South Africa are telling us that D’banj allegedly told the organizers he has ‘bigger issues to deal with’.

The Channel O producers  are now in last minute rush trying to trouble shoot.

But those close to D’banj, and who are familiar with the developing situation say he was actually at the airport yesterday (Thursday) prepared to travel to South Africa for the event. ‘He turned back when he realised they got him an economy return ticket. D’banj only flies ‘First Class’, an insider told us early today.
As reported earlier, organizers of the 2011 edition of the awards had announced that D’banj (real name  Dapo Oyebanjo) would be given a Special Recognition Award during the ceremony.

We are told that someone has now gone to his residence in Lekki, Lagos, to record an acceptance speech which will be played during the show when his award is announced.
Mo’Hits manager, Sunday Are also confirms the news. ‘No he won’t be going to South Africa for the awards, that’s all I can say for now‘, Are told ET.Other Nigerian acts such as Banky W (who is co-hosting the show) R&B Waje and pop singer Wizkid have already touched down in South Africa and are preparing for the show.

An E-mail sent to Mo’Hits boss Don Jazzy was not replied as at the time of this report, just as we could not immediately reach D’banj for comments.

According to Leslie ‘Lee’ Kasumba, Channel O Africa Manager, D’banj was chosen for the award because he has shown growth in his career over the years and he represented a breed of African urban artists who are the African dream.

Out of a of 14 categories, 15 Nigerian artistes have made the list; 2Face Idibia,D’ banj, Naeto C, Banky W,  Wizkid, Darey, Waje, Ice Prince, Brymo, Samklef,Jesse Jagz, Flavour,  Tiwa Sawage, J Martins and the amazing vocalist Asa.

The awards show will take place at the Taboo Sandton in Johannesburg, 9PM.

Read more…

According to X Factor judge Kelly Rowland, Beyonce and Jay-Z are expecting a little girl.

Talking at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards in London, Rowland commented that she doesn’t know what she is going to buy for the couple’s baby shower as “Jay is going to buy that little girl every single thing possible.”

Talk about letting the cat out of the bag.

Although there is still a chance that it could have just been Kelly’s turn of phrase, you have to admit that it is a pretty good indicator that unless Beyonce has been coaxing her friend to put the public off the scent the couple will soon be bringing the next generation of Destiny’s Child into the world.

Kelly also mentioned that she will definitely be playing a big part in Beyonce’s growing family, saying how happy she is for the pair and that she is always available for babysitting duties when they need her.

Read more…

Nigerian superstar, D’Banj, has been named as this year’s Special Recognition award recipient at the upcoming Channel O Music Video Awards which will be broadcast LIVE on Friday, 11 November.

D’Banj follows in the footsteps of many of Africa’s most prominent and successful musicians including K’NAAN who was given the Special Recognition award in 2010, Brenda Fassie in 2009 as well as George Lee in 2008.

Being honoured in this way by the Channel O Music Video Awards, brought to you in association with Hyundai, is even more notable for the fact that D’Banj released his debut album just six years ago. However, such has his impact been nationally, continentally and now internationally with his signing to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music record label, that D’Banj more than deserves this highly prestigious award.

Since the release of his debut, ‘No Long Thing’ in 2005, featuring the smash hit “Tongolo”, D’Banj has worked ceaselessly to create a career that’s now the benchmark for 21st century African artists.

Part of the Mo’ Hits Records stable, D’banj’s second album, ‘Rundown Funk U Up’ (2006) proved D’Banj’s ability to create club hits, “Tongolo” (Remix) as well as radio number ones, like the single “Why Me?” His hit-making ability was only reinforced in 2008 with the release of D’banj’s third album, ‘The Entertainer’, featuring the singles “Gbono Feli Feli”, “Kimon”, “Olorun Maje” and “Entertainer”.

In 2007 D‘Banj hosted the Channel O Music Video Awards with DJ Sbu. “His star has been rising for many years now. D’Banj is an artist who has the ability to communicate and connect in a meaningful way. As a musician he is a trendsetter and as a presenter he is entertaining with a wonderful sense of humour. His success both at home and internationally is a testament to his great talent and I am in no doubt that this is just the beginning,” says Yolisa Phahle Channel Director of Local Interest Channels.

D’Banj’s most recent big-hitter is also his most high profile: a remix of ‘Mr Endowed’ featuring the inimitable Snoop Dogg that was released in February 2011.

D’Banj’s generous approach to music making has seen him collaborate with the likes of Dare Art-Alade’s (on “Escalade Part 2”) and Ikechukwu. He is also part of Mo’ Hits Records’ collective, Mo’ Hits Allstars which includes Dr SID, Wande Coal, k-Switch and D’Prince.

His role as Nigeria’s first United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace and the founder of the Koko Foundation for Youth and Peace Development says a great deal about D’Banj’s commitment to Nigeria and Africa. This is also reflected in his music through which he brings the Afrobeat sounds of his mentor Fela Kuti to life and into the 21st century through songs performed in Yoruba, English and Pidgin English. In doing this D’Banj works with his producer Don Jazzy who has also been signed to G.O.O.D. Music.

Alongside his recording career, D’Banj has proved to be a brilliant live performer: he’s a regular at the annual ThisDay Africa Rising Music Festival and has performed at Femi Kuti’s new Afrikan Shrine in Lagos as well as the Shrine Synchro System’s regular London Night at Cargo. Other high-profile appearances include performing at the Black President Concert in memory of Fela’s art and legacy at the Barbican in London, and alongside many international artists performing in Nigeria, among them Kelly Rowland (2008).

On June 9, 2011, D’banj wrote on his twitter account, @iamdbanj, “Just like yesterday, myself and my brother did Tongolo. 6 years later, Mo’Hits signs with GOOD Music. Best Birthday gift ever. God thank you.” Now D’banj’s 2011 is set to get even better as he’s honoured by Africa’s longest-running music awards with the Channel O Music Video Awards’ Special Recognition Award.

Voting for the 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards is now CLOSED.

The Channel O Music Video Awards will be held LIVE on Friday 11 November 2011 at the Sandton Convention Center.

Read more…

Don Jazzy, Chief Executive Officer of Mo’ Hits Records, speaks with ADEMOLA OLONILUA about his life and career.

A fulfilled dream
I knew I would be relevant in the music industry, but I did not know I was going to end up at the top. I considered the fact that it would take us quite some time to study the market. I was still studying the market at the time. I did not imagine that I was going to study it faster than expected and get to the top. I would say that I feel honoured to be regarded as one of the biggest music producers in Africa. I thank God for that. At the same time, I think it is very difficult to keep up with the name. They say great power comes with great responsibilities. It is hard to keep up with the standard that we have tried to build for ourselves. We pray that God will give us the grace to sustain what we have achieved so far. There is no day that I do not reflect on my life and thank God for everything he has done.

Scandals
I did not get this far without being well informed. I have made it a point of duty to know what is happening in the entertainment industry, especially things that concern the Mo’ Hits family and I. I pay a lot of people to get informed so they wouldn’t leave my side of the story when any issue comes up. I heard about it. I do not think it is wise to respond to what he said. I have said that I would prefer if someone arranges a meeting for both of us. We should have a debate. Let him state his point and we shall debate it. At the end of the day he will still get the publicity that he wants. God sees my heart. I am not vindictive and I have never repaid other people’s kindness to me with evil. I am loyal to a fault and it gets me into trouble sometimes. Sometimes I am loyal to those who don’t even deserve loyalty just because of the good things they have done in the past. I wouldn’t agree if he says I did any bad thing to him. It would be better if we had a public debate. For now, I will take the blame till we have our little ‘get together’. Let me tell you all the things I have heard about myself that is false. I would start from the small ones before the big ones. I have heard that many people think I am over 30 years-old. It is ridiculous. I keep telling them I was born November 26, 1982. I am going to be 29 years old in November. I keep telling them, but they do not believe me. They say that I lied about my age. Maybe it is because my face looks hard. It is that way because I have experienced many things in this life. Also they think I am old because of the name, Don Jazzy. Some people have said I am the son of Enebeli Elebuwa .My name is Michael Collins Enebeli Ajereh. It so happen I have Enebeli in my name. It is a family name. Enebeli Elebuwa, Elebuwa is my father’s friend. My parents re-married when I was about 16 years old and I was the best man. The late Sam Loco was the master of ceremony at the main event, while Mr. Enebeli Elebuwa was the MC at the party because we were not allowed to enter the club at the time. He was my father’s colleague in the movie industry back in those days. Another rumor I heard was the one they said I owe Wande Coal. I do not know how that is possible. I read an article in a newspaper, which said Mo’ Hits record could be seen as a happy record label. We are happy people and we make good music. We move together and we do not respond to negative comments or music intended to insult or taint our image. We don’t want to be a party of that and people take that for granted. Anytime we sit at home, we read all the craps some people are publishing about us. Wande Coal was worried about the matter concerning borrowed money. He came to me and said, ‘Baba look at what they are saying again. They said you owe me money.’ But I told him not to worry about it and if he needed extra money I would give to him. I learned about the illuminati story. Our affiliation with Kanye West, Jay- Z, G.O.O.D music, to me is a good thing. It is a giant step for contemporary African music, especially Nigerian music. It is a big deal for Mo’ Hits record. I have heard they are affiliated with some people. But you do not expect Nigerians and other Africans to simply go there. It is not something we should discuss. I have not heard them discuss it. So it would be awkward to just start asking questions. Maybe when we get closer, we could discuss it. I am not illuminati and D’banj told me he is not too. We are Christians and God has brought us this far. We did not join Ogboni or any other cult group in Nigeria. The latest gossip in town is that D’banj and I were arrested for being in possession of hard drugs. There was a crazy buzz on twitter, blackberry and facebook that we were caught with 100 kilos of cocaine at J.F Kennedy International Airport in New York, USA. I don’t do drugs, I have never done it. I do not know why people actually do that. Any money I have I got through entertainment.

Passion for trendy clothes
At first, I used to dress like 50 cents, with a base ball cap, big t-shirt, and baggy jeans trousers. At some point, I felt that the fez cap was in vogue . Then I moved to something I never saw anybody do before. I like to stand out in a crowd. I decided to wear Indian robes. It is actually the kind of clothes that grooms wear to their wedding ceremonies in India. When I travel to London and Dubai, people greet me and ask if the ‘wedding’ went well. I decided to quit that dress style for a reason. It was because somebody told me on twitter that there was bad news. I asked him what it was about and he said there was somebody else in Enugu nicknamed Don Jazzy because he dressed like me. He said the fellow was caught stealing somewhere and he was set on fire. I was shocked. He said that from what they gathered he was trying to ‘live the life,’ but that the lacked the means to sustain it. It made me realize that we had reached the stage where some Nigerians wanted to be like us. I decided to tone down my dressing in such a way that anybody can afford to look like us. I decided to put on comfortable pants. People call it Pyjamas, but I think it is very comfortable. I can wear it anywhere and it is quite cheap. I bought it for $10. I don’t advise any one to wear it to work. You can wear it when you want to hang out with your friends. I don’t like to mingle in a crowd. So I tend to do things my way. Think differently.

D’banj and the Mo’Hits as spokesmen
I have stopped that now. At first, I was too shy to speak in front of a large crowd because I did not like the sound of my voice. I preferred to sing instead. I used to whisper to D’banj. We tried it once and people liked it. It worked out and we stuck to it. It was a fluke. It’s not as if we planned it. We did it once and Soundcity got it on tape. We saw the result and decided to continue with it. I didn’t have much to say then. Anything I wanted to say D’banj, Wande Coal, Dr. Sid, one of the Mo’ Hits would have said it in an interview. So I decided to shut up. I did not see the need for me to come out and take the shine off an artiste that needs publicity.

How Mo’ Hits made G.O.O.D music happen
D’banj ran into Kanye West in Dubai when he went for a birthday performance. On his way back to Nigeria, he met Kanye West. He asked to be introduced to the American rap star. The latter learnt that D’banj, one of the biggest singers in Africa at present, had collaborated with Snoop Dogg and was poised to break into the international market. He said no problem. We gave him some songs to listen to on an Ipod. He was impressed and when he asked who produced it, he was told that I did. He said he would love to work with us. When to visit New York? We told him we were going to Los Angeles to shoot the video of Mr. Endowed remix. He told us to pass through New York so that we could talk more on the possibility of a joint project. We thought it was a joke or he was one of those celebrities that played people off. We called him up and he said he was serious. Before we knew it, he was introducing us as his new sign-on. He made his intention clear and we told him we appreciated it. We got our lawyers and that was it.

Working with Kanye West
I would say he became my boss when he signed me on to his record label as one of his producers. He said he had many projects in view and he would not be able to handle them all on his own. Also he said he liked the quality of my sound and would love to use it in his work. Already we are working on D’Banj’s next album. Considering the fact that we were already big in Africa, we could not come in as regular artistes. We are more like partners. We have an agreement to release D’banj’s album. They would help us handle the distribution in the rest of the world, while we handle Africa.

About D Prince and his rap style
There is something about talent. Talents were not meant to be shared equally among men, in the first place. D Prince is my brother, I can’t deny that. Although he has a passion for entertainment, he doesn’t have a great voice or the skill to deliver lyrically. Yet, whatever he delivers gets accepted. He has his own audience. It is not every song that would appeal to everyone. The sky is very big for every bird to fly. Those who would listen to him will always do so. He has own followership. Apart from D Prince, everybody in Mo’ Hits does not brag to be the best. We just want to make money and feed our families. It is good enough that people appreciate what we do. We do not want medals for being the greatest lyricists. D’banj is not a great singer, but he is the most successful. Anybody that is complaining now is actually very late because if he is as bad as people say he wouldn’t become as big as he is. There are people out there that like him. We know this. Even within, we make jest of ourselves before other people hear it outside. We know we can not rap, we know we can not sing; but we know we can entertain you in our own way.

Read more…

From left to right: Don Jazzy, Jay Z and Kanye

When we found out Mo’Hits C.E.O and hitmaker Don Jazzy was signed to Kanye West‘s record label G.O.O.D Music,we were ecstatic and even more elated when it was announced that he was featured as a co-producer in the Jay Z and Kanye West collaboration ‘Watch The Throne‘, a track titled ‘Lift off” which features Beyonce.

Well, ‘Watch The Throne‘ dropped yesterday Monday, August 8, 2011 on iTunes and in stores and as expected is gaining massive buzz especially through the online media. Looking at the digital booklet that comes along with the album, it states Don Jazzy is an additional producer as well as an additional vocalist.

‘Lift off‘ is nothing short of a brilliant song. The instrumentation however overshadows Kanye’s verse even though his energetic delivery should be commended. We’ll give Jay Z his props nevertheless even though he hardly says much. You could bet Don Jazzy is responsible for the chords on the joint! Listen up

Read more…

Say what you will about Chris Brown. But don't call his recent success a comeback.

The 22-year old R&B star, a controversy magnet whose early promise seemed to go up in smoke with his brutal beating of Rihanna, has maintained great support from a loyal crew of fans since that fateful episode over two years ago. And with his album, "F.A.M.E.," debuting in the top spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart earlier this year, spawning three number one singles and netting him six BET Award nominations, it would seem that he's back to at least semi-mainstream acceptance. Not that he ever doubted it would happen.

"I don’t really think it’s a comeback album. I feel like it’s an album of triumph, like an underdog type of album," Brown tells The Source magazine in its new cover story. "It’s more of me showing and proving everybody wrong. I don’t think I ever went anywhere. It’s not like I fell off the face of the earth."

Recently, the rapper and Rihanna seemed to be moving toward some small reconciliation; she moved to her her restraining order against him loosened so that he could appear at award shows, and perhaps even more tellingly, began following him on Twitter.

Brown is seemingly humble about his recaptured success. While he got caught in an online exchange in which he he made homophobic comments (for which he apologized) and had a meltdown behind the scenes of Good Morning America after being asked about the Rihanna controversy, Brown seems to understand that his actions have consequences, and is looking to positively influence his fans.

"What I like most about being Chris Brown is being able to influence the world with my music and smile, being able to
inspire the world, fans singing your music, seeing people dressed like you but at the same time them wanting to be
themselves, be individuals," he tells the magazine. "I recognize my music touches people and everything I do negative or positive affects people all over the world. So that’s definitely a blessing and a curse."

He's very adamant about that blessing and curse part; as someone who has experienced the highs and lows of his personal life from underneath the magnifying glass that is the public eye, the lack of freedom does trouble him sometimes.

Read more…

Good Music Empire

Thunder shook Brooklyn, drops of rain fell, and over a thousand people took refuge in One Hanson Place, the old Williamsburg Savings Bank, for a much whispered-about Kanye West show. We were the chosen ones. If the world was going to end, at least we would be safe behind a velvet rope.

Every recent Kanye concert in New York has been an exercise in power and validation. There was last summer's early-hours secret show at The Box, last November's hundred-dollar VIP scramble at the Bowery Ballroom, and now this. Details, few and far between, had been saved for but a few "influencers." Couldn't get a ticket? You probably didn't deserve one.

This was a beautiful space saved for beautiful people. A PR email not-so-casually announced that fourteen celebrities would be in attendance: Diddy, Estelle, and Hype Williams; models of Sports Illustrated, Victoria's Secret, and King (ha) caliber, too. These beautiful people came to see a show of enormous proportions, Kanye outdoing Kanye.

Rumors swirled that Jay-Z would be there—hell, his bodyguard Norm stood upstairs—and that because of a strict-in-name "no cameras allowed" policy, the two of them would perform cuts from Watch the Throne. (Jay-Z never showed up.)

Extending sixty feet in the air, the ceiling probably made even Mr. West feel small and had an unfortunate result for someone who so demands to be heard: the sound was pretty terrible. (It would be no worse than when Q-Tip, during his DJ set opener, said something that might have been a call for people to raise their hands. No one raised their hands.) The issue would be addressed, though never completely fixed; the audio supposedly sounded perfect in the monitors, and high-quality footage will be released on Vevo.

Forgetting the muffled sound, the light show and stage performance were pretty outstanding. Red flashes made the room feel as if it was the inside of a volcano; gold lasers streaming through the ever-present fog recalled aurora borealis. Turrets of smoke would erupt on cue during "Power" while Kanye stood on stage like a god upon Mount Olympus. At times he was Thor, throwing down lightning and watching it strike. Then, with shades removed, he was happier, benevolent, skipping around for the combo of "Good Life" and "Gold Digger." During "Flashing Lights," Kanye stood atop a hydraulic pillar that lifted him ten feet in the air, making it look like he was floating above a thick fluffy cloud. It was awesome (in the most biblical sense of the word).

Read more…

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver, announced Monday night that they are separating. The political power couple released a statement saying:

"This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us. After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion and prayer, we came to this decision together. At this time, we are living apart while we work on the future of our relationship.

"We are continuing to parent our four children together. They are the light and the center of both of our lives. We consider this a private matter and neither we nor any of our friends or family will have further comment. We ask for compassion and respect from the media and the public."

Read more…